The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-02-24
washington Letter.
Trom onr regnlar CORRESPONDENT.

past week was marked by some i'm
portant legislation, prominent among
which was the passage OF the Eads'-
Tehauntepec Ship Railway bill by the
Senate and the rigorous Anti-Polyga-
my bill by both the Senate and House
You may remember that this meas
ure passed the Senate some time since
but it was amended by the House, and |
now the Senate has passed it as it came
from the House
Only seven votes were recorded
against the scheme of Capt. Eads for
constructing a ship railway across the
isthmus of Tehauntepec, These were
cast by Senators Edmunds, Jones Of
Arkansas, Morrill,, Platt, Vance, Van
Wyck and Wilson OF Iowa. The bin
incorporates Capt. Eads and some
eighty other persons named, as body
polite under the name of the Allan
tic and Pacific Ship Railway Compa-
ny, The stock is not to exceed $780,
100000; and when ten per cent of
stock is subscribed and ten per cent,
paid in cash, a meeting of stockhold-
ers is to be held in Washington or
New York, for the election Of direc-
tors. If ten millions of stock is not
subscribed for, and ten per cent, paid
in cash within two years, the charter
is to expire by limitation. Conse-
quently the Government is notcommit
ted to the project pecuniarily, and
makes no guarantees.
The Senate has passed bills appro-
priating about fifty millions for ships
OF war, coast defenses and other war
like preparations. If the Senate had
really wanted to do something for the
Navy it would have passed these bills
early enough to permit of their con-
sideration by the House of Represent
atives. 1t ought not to be expected
that the House will pass measures OF
such magnitude, without and examin'
alton which there is not now time tc
give But, of course, the Senate will
get the credit of having made a bril-
liant effort toward an increase of nava
establishment, and the House will bt
condemned for neglect of its duty il
this matter.
Every body is wondering whom tn,
President will appoint on the Inter
State Commission Among the score
of men who have been mentioned 70
a place, Gen. Atkins, the present Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, is one O
) the latest. His friends say he is
man who could be, officially, as nue.
a friend to the railroads as to the pee
. Pile Said one of them, Gle could d
3 justice to both, and at the same tim
= has moral force sufficient to outrid
! the temptation of winking at the Ne
: York brokers for a consideration"
= On next Thursday an effort will
e made in the House OF Representative
to pass the Pauper Pension bill owe
the Presidents veto, and the RepubI
cans are expected to press the matte
I to such an extent that there will doub
d less be pretty lively fight. The in
D preston is, however, that it will be in
= possible to override the veto.
o The first Mexican pension und,
II the recent act granting pensions
+ the survivors of that war, was issue
e on last Friday. 1t went to the hel
y OF Cero Gordo, ex-senator Williams,
J. Kentucky. If all the Mexican vete
II ans were able to verify their CLAIM
IL to an allowance and secure it as rea
lily as he, short work would be made
the Mexican pension business, at lea:
His application was filed last wee
ID in the Commissioners Office at elevt
-, o'clock one day and the pension ce
X tificate mailed in the afternoon OF IL
s. same day.
III The Cabinet succession continues
. be theme of discussion A week az
y it was believed that Mr.. Fairchild, Il
a. Assistant Secretary, was the man fl
y the place, but suddenly public opinic
" changed entirely, Some say that IL
:, :, President will appoint a wide-awak
practical politician to succeed NJ
Manning When the latter tendere
IL his resignation the President brougl
d up the subject of his successor, an
+ Mr.. Manning urged upon him the n
n cessity of availing himself of the o
ne portunity to appoint strong Dem
+ crat OF national reputation, and su
gested two or three naMes.
A Democratic Congressman of pror
inence expresses the hope that Il
Secretary of the Treasury will be tai
ID EN- from among those who are n
es dominated by Wall street ideas. b
ct as he himself acknowledged, it is vel
ID difficult to find IA man of financial e
is periencc who is not under Wall sire
III influence in some way. Since Ne
W York is the centre Of the money poy
l. er of the nation, every business ma
!: of prominence has his main cent
ar there.
he
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